Venue: O'Donoghue Theatre, NUI Galway
Date: 22 May 2022 at 3pm
Price: Free (booking required)
Galway Music Residency (GMR) in association with Contemporary Music Centre (CMC) presents the World Premiere of E-Bow. This new work by Irish composer Dave Flynn for string quartet and electric guitar, which will be performed by Galway’s ConTempo Quartet and the composer himself, was co-commissioned by long-term commissioning partners Galway Music Residency and Galway City Council.
E-bow is a work in three movements. It plays with the tradition of the guitar quintet, which dates back t o the late 18th
century, but brings it in new directions by using an electric guitar with the addition of an ‘E-Bow’, a string-sustaining device invented by Greg Heet in 1969. 'E-Bows' became essential tools for rock guitarists in the late 1970's and their distinctive tone is heard on songs by Blondie, U2, Radiohead, Big Country, Genesis, Pink Floyd and R.E.M. They are less common in classical music because they don't work on nylon string classical guitars.
The World Premiere will be housed in a wider event which will include a performance of Philip Glass’ Mishima arranged, with special permission from the composer, for string quartet and electric guitar. This work was composed for the film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, which follows the life of author Yukio Mishima who on 25th November 1970, in the ritual act of Seppuku, knelt on a carpet and plunged a dagger into his abdomen – a gesture of defiance against the violation of his country’s dignity.
The event will also feature an interview with the composer Dave Flynn and ConTempo Quartet led by CMC Director, Evonne Ferguson. This intriguing conversation will give the audience an opportunity to hear about the inspiration behind the work, the composer’s process and some of the techniques used, which will be demonstrated by ConTempo Quartet and the composer himself.